The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau announced yesterday that it took action against a ring of law firms and attorneys who the government watchdog contends collaborated to charge illegal fees to consumers seeking debt relief, PYMNTS.com reported. In a complaint filed in federal court, the CFPB alleged Howard Law, Williamson Law Firm and Williamson & Howard, as well as attorneys Vincent Howard and Lawrence Williamson, ran this debt relief operation along with Morgan Drexen, which shut down in 2015 following the CFPB’s lawsuit against that company. The CFPB is aiming to stop the defendants’ unlawful scheme, obtain relief for harmed consumers and impose penalties. “The defendants exploited consumers who were already suffering financial difficulties by tricking them into paying steep, illegal fees,” said CFPB Director Richard Cordray in a press release. “We put a stop to this scam once already, and we intend to do it again.”
